The present invention is directed to a welding mask to prevent orange flare and method of welding and more specifically to the use of a particular type of glass to provide adequate optical protection to the eyes during welding.
In high temperature welding using an oxygen-type fuel (such as natural gas, propane, acetylene and hydrogen) in brazing, and where fluxes are used, several flashes or wavelengths of light will be present which will normally irritate or damage the human eye unless eye protection is provided. In addition to visible wavelengths, it is also necessary to protect against the infrared and ultraviolet portions of the light spectrum. And this is of course the reason for the use of a welding mask or goggles.
However, existing protective lenses have not been perfected in that some eye damage and eye strain to welders still result. For example, the strong yellow-orange flare given off by many welding fluxes (which is believed due to the presence of sodium and potassium salts) at the present time is not effectively filtered and causes severe eye strain and headaches at a minimum and perhaps even vision loss. And of course, the long term effect of this eye strain may be glaucoma.